Explore the Family Name Dennis
The meaning of Dennis
1. English: from the Middle English (Old French) personal name Denis(e), Dinis(e), vernacular forms of Latin Dionysius, Greek Dionysios ‘(follower) of Dionysos’, an eastern god introduced to the classical pantheon at a relatively late date and bearing a name of probably Semitic origin. The name was borne by various early Christian saints, including Saint Denis, the martyred 3rd-century bishop of Paris who became the patron saint of France. From the 12th century onward, the popularity of the name in England (and of its cognates, mainly Denis, in the continental Europe) seems to have been largely due to French influence. The feminine form Dionysia (in vernacular English likewise Den(n)is) is also found, and some examples of the surname may originate from it. 2. English: from Middle English deneis, a variant of danais ‘Danish’, with the vowel influenced by Middle English denshe (Old English denisc). Compare Dence. 3. Irish (mainly Dublin and Cork): of the same origin as 1 and 2 above, sometimes an alternative form to Donohue but more often to McDonough, since the personal name Donnchadh was Anglicized as Donough or Denis. 4. Irish (Ulster and Munster): Anglicized form of the rare Gaelic name Ó Donnghusa ‘descendant of Donnghus’, a personal name from donn ‘brown-haired man’ or ‘chieftain’ + gus ‘vigor’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Dennis in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Dennis has seen a slight decrease in popularity over time. In 2000, Dennis was ranked the 384th most popular surname, but by 2010, it had slipped to the 409th position, marking a decrease of 6.51%. However, the actual count of individuals with the surname Dennis increased from 74,784 in 2000 to 78,482 in 2010, equating to an increase of 4.94%. The proportion of people named Dennis per 100,000 decreased by 4.0%, going from 27.72 in 2000 to 26.61 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #384 | #409 | -6.51% |
| Count | 74,784 | 78,482 | 4.94% |
| Proportion per 100k | 27.72 | 26.61 | -4% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Dennis
The Decennial U.S. Census data shows some shifts in the ethnic identity associated with the surname Dennis between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of individuals with this surname identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and those identifying as part of two or more races saw increases of 36.36% and 25.14%, respectively. Conversely, individuals identifying as White saw a decrease of 4.23%, dropping from 68.50% to 65.60%. There was a notable 41.87% increase in the number of people with the Dennis surname identifying as Hispanic. Those identifying as Black also increased by 5.10%, while the American Indian and Alaskan Native category experienced a modest increase of 9.72%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 68.5% | 65.6% | -4.23% |
| Black | 26.49% | 27.84% | 5.1% |
| Hispanic | 2.03% | 2.88% | 41.87% |
| Two or More Races | 1.83% | 2.29% | 25.14% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.72% | 0.79% | 9.72% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.44% | 0.6% | 36.36% |
Dennis ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Dennis is British & Irish, which comprises 50.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.3%) and Eastern European (4.0%). Additional ancestries include Nigerian, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 50.5% |
| French & German | 21.3% |
| Eastern European | 4.0% |
| Other | 24.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Dennis
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Dennis have recent ancestry locations in United Kingdom and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 80.70% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 80.40% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 80.30% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 80.20% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 80.20% |
What Dennis haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Dennis is R-U152, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-U152 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-Z19, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Weber, Knight, Harvey, Miller, Weaver, Mitchell, Brown, Schneider, Meyers, Smith.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Dennis surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Dennis have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Dennis" Surname 42.6%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Dennis" Surname 31.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Dennis" Surname 22.6%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Dennis" Surname 19.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Dennis?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Dennis are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition